


a dime for a dream

by Hyperionova



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Prostitution, Rentboys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 07:35:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13970331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyperionova/pseuds/Hyperionova
Summary: People like him could dream after all.





	a dime for a dream

The church bell tolled as the sun sank lower in the darkening sky, painting a canvas of harmonious colours.

Kai took a sip of the violets in his winecup and heaved a sigh, glancing out the window.

“How is it? Is it to your taste?” Lady Ponsonby asked with a seductive purr as she leaned over the chaise lounge and swiped her thumb over a corner of Kai’s lips before she let her hand glide over his thigh.

The wine slid down his throat like the sweetest drink of the divine. It was the most exquisite wine Kai had ever tasted and he probably would not be able to afford something half as good even if he toiled sleeplessly for the rest of his life.

“Would you like to have more?” she offered, resting a hand on Kai’s.

Kai pulled back, smiling. “I shouldn’t, milady,” he said and handed the noblewoman her winecup. “I ought to get going.”

Lady Ponsonby frowned. “Stay a little longer. I don’t mind paying more for your time.”

Kai pulled his coat on. “Won’t Lord Ponsonby return soon?”

The lady exhaled ungraciously, lacing up her blouse. She wasn’t bad-looking. In fact, she was one of the attractive ones Kai had had lain with. She had large mounds for breasts, wide, curvy hips, and plump lips. And she paid well.

Kai ran a hand through his hair and straightened his shirt. Then holding onto the armrest, he bent towards Lady Ponsonby, smirking. The noblewoman’s eyes widened, sheening with lust.

“How was I, milady?” he asked in a gruffy whisper. “Was I… to your taste?”

Lady Ponsonby’s breathing quickened, and her cheeks reddened. “Now I see why your Mistress sang praises of you about being her best.”

Kai withdrew with his smirk stretching into a grin. “She wasn’t lying, was she?” He scoffed and retreated to the door. Lady Ponsonby leered at him with her bottom lip curled between her teeth. “I bid you a good evening then, milady.”

With that, he slipped through the door and disappeared down the corridor.

By the time he reached the brothel, he was ready to drop. Sauntering into the sunroom, he helped himself to a glass of cheap whiskey and lounged on one of the lush pallets on the floor.

“Oh, Kai,” the Mistress cooed when she found him in the sunroom, nursing the whiskey in his hand. “There you are.”

Kai shook his head lazily. “I am exhausted. I cannot take another for the night,” he said and sipped the burning alcohol. “And unless Lady Ponsonby pays twice as much, I will not be entertaining her again.”

The Mistress rolled her eyes. “If only you worked enough for what you demand.”

“You have no clue what those women have for stamina. They are indefatigable!”

“An excuse,” came a voice, mocking scornfully. The blond boy entered the sunroom, carrying his lanky body gracefully as he walked in, his feet poising over the carpeted floor like a quill inking parchment.

Kai scowled at him.

“Perhaps you ought to direct him towards the old men, who don’t require much in bed,” Sehun told the Mistress as he fetched himself a glass of brandy. “Maybe he would be satisfied there.”

He pinned Kai with a sidelong glance that was filled with derision and aversion. Kai simply smirked, snorted, and looked away, taking a swig of the dram. Sehun was an arrogant, snobbish brat. He was a child, who believed the world owed him something.

“Yeah,” Kai said. “And hand the virile ones to the snotty princess.”

“At least I don’t whine about not being able to bring _it_ up,” Sehun scoffed and sipped his brandy.

Kai wasn’t sure what was the source of the endless contention between them. They had never liked each other from their very first meeting. Kai hadn’t paid Sehun a lot of attention when Sehun was first brought into the brothel by the Mistress, who had scouted the boy in one of the dark alleys of the city.

* * *

_“This must be a joke,” Kai commented when the Mistress introduced the stray she had picked up from the streets. It wasn’t like her to recruit streetwalkers, but she must have seen some potential in this boy if she had gone out of her way to convince him into joining her brothel._

_“Kai, be nice,” she said, draping an arm over the fairhead’s slouching shoulders. The boy was scraggly—all skin-and-bones. He had muck and grit sticking to his worn clothes. “His name is Sehun.”_

_“He’s cute,” said someone from the back._

_“He’ll be a fine addition,” added another._

_Kai rolled his eyes. He didn’t particularly like it when the Mistress took in new rent boys. It meant more competition. And this stray would indisputably be a threat. He was good-looking, and he was young. The clients always loved the young ones._

_The boy kept his head low, nervously staring at the floor._

_“Now, he just needs a good scrub and a wash, and he’ll be the prettiest thing ever,” the Mistress chimed as she ushered Sehun towards the stairs._

* * *

She was right. All he needed was a bath, a haircut, some nice clothes, and an earring, and he was indeed the prettiest thing ever. All the men that walked through the door of the brothel were willing to pay heftily for just a night with Sehun. Soon, the rare privilege of choosing his client, which previously was only bestowed upon Kai, was given to Sehun, too. He was presented with a wide range of options every night. He was booked for weeks by rich lords and powerful nobilities. He hadn’t become much of a threat for Kai, since Kai’s clientele involved mostly noblewomen, widows, and spinsters. And Sehun spread his legs for men. Even so, Sehun brought in a significant portion of the brothel’s clients and income. He had suddenly become the Mistress’ favourite and that warranted special honours. It was embarrassing to lose his pride to the vanity of a poncy, pretentious bitch like Sehun.

One could understand his resentment towards Sehun. Nobody liked having their spotlight stolen. Especially not by an overconfident, foulmouthed attention seeker. But Sehun apparently loathed Kai just as much and Kai couldn’t recall having done anything that could merit such mistreatment. Most of the time, Sehun just pretended like Kai didn’t exist. The rest of the time, he’d do whatever he could with that filthy mouth of his to hurt Kai. He didn’t usually succeed, for that Kai often disregarded him as a child that loved to throw a fit just to grab the attention. Kai would not indulge him by giving him exactly what he wanted.

“Don’t you have some wealthy jackass to whore your pussy out to instead of wasting your time attempting to take a rise out of me?” Kai asked without looking at Sehun.

“Don’t you have an appointment with the physician to do something about your worsening sterility?” Sehun countered.

Kai shot a black look at him.

“Oh, God. Enough!” the Mistress yapped before Kai could retaliate. “It’s endless with you two.” She rubbed her wrinkled forehead, exhaling exasperatedly.

Sehun turned his head away, clenching his jaw. Kai relaxed on the pallet and tucked an arm under his head.

“I can’t believe I’m going to beg you both to do this,” the Mistress then said, frowning worriedly. “Listen.”

Sehun took a seat on the chaise lounge far away from the pallet Kai lay on. “What did you want to tell me?” Sehun asked.

The Mistress gnawed at her lip, glancing at Kai and Sehun apprehensively. “Um… Here it goes. Have you heard about the nouveau riche gem merchant’s son, Chanyeol?”

Kai arched an eyebrow. “No.”

Sehun shook his head.

The Mistress sighed. “I didn’t think you would… Anyway,” she paused and slid her hands into the pockets of her skirt. “His attendant paid the brothel a visit earlier today and… paid us an entire month of income for a single night.”

Kai almost spat out the whiskey in his mouth as he retched and coughed. “What?” His eyes immediately darted to Sehun. “For _him_?!” Even he knew Sehun was not worth two hundred gold coins.

From the way Sehun was gawking at the Mistress, Kai presumed this was news to him, too.

“Well, not exactly,” the Mistress said. “I accepted the money, of course.” She looked nervous and agitated. “His demands were… a little unusual.”

Kai let out a taunting chuckle. “I’m sure your precious little blond whore would do _anything_ for that amount of money, regardless of how unusual the demands could be.”

He was expecting Sehun to be glaring with contempt when he looked at him. But instead, Sehun frowned dejectedly, his suddenly limpid eyes meeting Kai’s for a brief moment before they dropped to stare at the floor. Kai swallowed and drained the last drop of whiskey in the glass.

“He wishes for a private show. With you and Sehun.”

Kai shot upright and gaped at the Mistress with a slack jaw and bulging eyes. “What?!”

“What do you mean?” Sehun gasped. “As in… the three of us?”

“No,” the Mistress sighed. “He wants be an audience to two of my best boys… doing it.”

Kai jolted up from the pallet and started towards the door. “Find someone else to put on this freak show. I don’t know what’s worse. You agreeing to this creep wanting to watch us fuck or the idea of me fucking this wench.”

Sehun stood up. “What do you think _you_ are?!” he shouted furiously. “Some monk on a holy pilgrimage to seek nirvana?!”

Kai stilled, staring at Sehun’s crimsoned face. He had never seen Sehun so angry.

“Cut it out,” the Mistress growled as she put herself between them. “He specifically asked for you two. I don’t care how much you hate each other’s guts at this point. I need you two to grow a pair and do your job! Or you can fucking get out of this brothel!”

Sehun plumped back on the chaise lounge with a thud. A deep, worried frown furrowed his eyebrows as he quickly got lost in his own thoughts.

Kai took a breath and rubbed his temples. “How much will I get for doing this?” he asked.

“One-fourth,” the Mistress said. “Both of you.”

That was more than what Kai could make in two weeks. If he did this and worked for the rest of the month, he might actually gather enough money to afford the down payment for the small apartment he had been interested in for the past few months. He would not have to share a room with the others in the brothel anymore.

“Fine,” he spat through his teeth. He briefly glanced over to Sehun, who hadn’t raised his head. “I’ll do it.”

“Didn’t think you’d have much of an option,” the Mistress said with a sigh and brought a hand to Sehun’s head to ruffle his hair. “Cheer up. Kai’s reputation precedes him. I’m sure he’ll give you a good time.”

Kai scowled. “You’re worried about _him_?”

“Tomorrow evening. Make yourself look pretty for the client, doll,” she said, caressing Sehun’s cheek with the back of her fingers.

Sehun rose to his feet and bowed his head once to the Mistress before he stormed out of the sunroom.

The Mistress turned to Kai. “You better not hurt him,” she warned, and Kai knew that she was not joking. “Leave your quarrels and differences out of the bed, and make sure he’s comfortable.”

“Oh, great,” Kai scoffed. “So, I’m the villain here.” Shaking his head, he brushed past the Mistress and headed up to his room.

* * *

Sehun remembered the first time he was given pretty, lavish clothes to wear. He remembered the first time he bathed in goat’s milk and rosewater. The first time he didn’t have to kneel on the gritty ground of an alley for a quick one but was lain on a feather mattress gently. The first time he was paid more than just a few silver pieces. The first time his client asked if he were all right when they were done. The first time he didn’t have to starve.

He remembered the first time he wasn’t scared and didn’t have to beg a man to be kind and to pay him. Men sought him out now. All of them. All but one.

And Sehun was obsessively in love with him.

He stood before the mirror and surveyed his bare body that was still damp from the bath. He drew his slender fingers up an arm, all the way to his shoulder. The fine hairs on his nape and forearms rose.

The thought rarely crossed his mind. But it did every time he was around Kai. He felt dirty.

He _was_ dirty.

Hundreds of men had touched him and every time he thought of what he had to give the man he loved, he was overwrought with a torturous misery. He had _nothing_. Nothing but filth.

No amount of fancy clothing or dazzling jewellery could hide this filth. Kai saw through them all. And Sehun felt so dirty that he would rather die than give this filth to the man of his dreams.

This wasn’t how he wanted things to go. He had spent hours last night weeping into his pillow silently. He had never refused the Mistress’ requests. He owed her so much, he could never let her down. But the thought of laying with Kai for the first time just for a client while he loved the man pained his chest and broke his heart into smithereens.

He knew it wasn’t as though Kai was waiting for a virgin wife. But a fellow rent boy, who bent for other men, from the brothel he worked at was not a close alternative.

On top of all that, boys like Sehun did not find love. So, he settled with just dreaming and pining for it. Though he desired Kai, he promised himself that he would never act on that desire. And to make sure he followed through, he made sure that he seemed like he resented the man.

But tonight, everything Sehun had both dreamed of and dreaded would be realized. His body and mind were still in a trance of disbelief. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to cope with any of this. He both wanted it and wanted to run away from it.

Everyone who ended up here in the brothel had a rough past, that was a given. Sehun was no exception. He was thrown out of his home by his devoutly religious parents, who believed that having no son at all was preferable to having a homosexual for a son. That was how Sehun had been brought to the streets overnight at the age of 16. With no proper education or competence for a paying job in a city so vast and cruel, he wasn’t left with a lot of options. He was still too proud to beg. So, he worked with what he had at that time. His body. And it paid enough, more than what he would make if he were employed.

When he was brought to the brothel by the Mistress, everything had changed for him. He became a star. He was cherished and appreciated. And as unlikely as it sounded in a place like this, he found love.

He stepped into the flimsy underpants and pulled on a lacy night robe. It would be a ‘show’ for Kai but for Sehun, it would the cruellest joke. A promise. And a heartbreak.

Picking up the bottle of perfume, he applied a small daub of it on either side of his neck. Then he removed the earring from his right ear before putting on a black choker necklace around his neck. He heaved a deep breath and studied his pale reflection in the mirror.

Kai never liked him. Even from their very first meeting. It was strange, how one’s heart often craved what it couldn’t have.

It hadn’t stopped Sehun from dreaming. Over the years, he had wondered many things. Had Kai, even once, found Sehun beautiful? Did he believe that Sehun bending for men somehow made Sehun dirtier than the others?

What would it be like to come home to each other, in spite of what they did for a living?

Sehun wanted Kai to come home to him just as he wanted to come home to Kai.

Oftentimes, he wished that when he had made enough money, he would leave the brothel. And perhaps then, he could confess his feelings to Kai. But then again, it wouldn’t somehow magically wipe away all the red marks on Sehun’s record, would it?

He perched on the edge of his bed and dropped his head. Tonight would be a torture worse than hell.

* * *

It wasn’t as though Kai didn’t like fucking boys. But women were always easier to satisfy. Which was why all of his clientele these days were women. But he wouldn’t say no servicing a man if he paid well.

However, tonight was different. He was getting paid to fuck a co-worker. While it wasn’t prohibited in the brothel for them to sleep with each other, nobody actually went out of their way to do it. The last thing anyone here wanted to do was forge relationships. Kai recalled a few of the rent boys fooling around with each other some years ago before one of them got serious and he ended up taking his life when his affection wasn’t returned. And since, the Mistress constantly reminded them that love did nothing but harm to people like them. Kai couldn’t agree more.

 He swigged large drafts of the whiskey in the sunroom while he waited for the Mistress to show up. He should go easy on the drink, but the idea of laying with Sehun horrified him so much that he wanted to be so plastered that he wouldn’t remember a thing the next morning. But before he could get himself drunk, the Mistress entered the sunroom and wrenched the glass from his hand.

“I think you’ve had enough,” she said, scowling. “We don’t want you fumbling up there.”

Kai huffed heavily, rolling his eyes. “That was my first glass, don’t worry. I’m as sober as a bull.”

“Hope you’re hard as one, too,” she spat. “Get this done quickly and you both can call it a night.”

“But I thought it was all about putting on a show for the silk-stocking heir,” Kai snorted jokingly. The Mistress glared. “All right. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”

The Mistress took hold of Kai’s hand. “Be gentle with him,” she said in a low voice. Kai stared at her with his eyebrows furrowed.

“Why do you think I’m going to hurt him?”

“Because I know you are not exactly all that fond of him.”

“So? I’m not that low to hurt him while he’s vulnerable. If anything, he’s the one that’s going to hurt _me_.” He retrieved his hand and adjusted the collar of his shirt.

“Chanyeol is here,” the Mistress said. “You can go now.”

With a curt nod of his head, Kai proceeded towards the room. He had done this countless times. But he had never approached the room with so much anxiety weighing him down. As much as he did want to hurt Sehun for stealing what once belonged to him, he knew this was a punishment for them both. Nobody could come out of this situation as a winner. Except for that weird sick Chanyeol maybe.

He pushed the door open and took in the deep red drapes, carpets, and the huge white mattress on the floor that was accompanied by a tray of oil canisters. His eyes then darted to the man seated on the chair with his legs crossed, clad in an expensive-looking suit. He glanced at Kai with an expressionless face. He was undeniably a handsome man.

Kai bowed his head. “Good evening, sir,” he said as politely as he could manage.

Chanyeol continued to stare at him with a blank face. He then looked away disinterestedly. Kai cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. It would have been so much easier and less awkward if he just had to fuck this guy.

The door creaked open after what felt like forever and Sehun stepped in, wearing a scanty night robe and lacy white drawers that reached slightly below his knees.

He paused at the door, eyes finding Kai before they turned to Chanyeol.

Chanyeol didn’t look away. His expression hardened as he stared at Sehun for a moment before his gaze shifted to Kai.

Sehun’s cheeks flushed red as he turned back to Kai. He then lowered his head. He waited.

Kai bit his lip. He’d done this with audience. Women had watched other women with him. But this was different. This was… Sehun. He wasn’t a client. Kai would not be able to get paid and then forget all about it. While providing a service for Chanyeol was work, having sex with Sehun wasn’t.

He drew in a breath. He just needed to bite his tongue and get this over with.

As he crossed the room, Chanyeol’s gaze followed him. With a few feet separating him and Sehun, Kai closed the distance between them. He then swallowed nervously as he brought his fingers to Sehun’s chin to raise his head. Sehun lifted his head but refused to meet Kai’s eyes.

“Just pretend that I’m someone else,” Kai whispered. Sehun looked at him then, frowning with something like surprise. “One of your clients.”

As he held Sehun’s chin between his thumb and fingers, Sehun stared into Kai’s eyes. Though they were completely aware of the audience in the room, they tried to not to look at him.

Sehun did not look away from Kai’s eyes. With their gazes locked, he leaned in for a kiss. Kai withdrew abruptly before their lips could touch and Sehun blenched and took a step back as though he were stung. He hung his head in embarrassment.

“We don’t have to do that,” Kai muttered and Sehun’s face turned red. He took hold of Sehun’s wrist before he led Sehun to the bed on the floor. Sehun knelt down on the mattress with his head dropped low while Kai removed his own shirt and discarded it. He then crawled into the bed and knelt before Sehun. Briefly glancing over to Chanyeol, he found the man leering at them with intent now, though his expression remained hard and stoic.

Kai turned to Sehun again. Sehun’s hands were trembling when Kai held them. _Wow,_ Kai thought. Sehun was a real class act. No wonder the men went nuts for him. Sehun knew what he was doing, and he was bloody good at it. He knew exactly what drove the men crazy. He knew how to act.

He brought Sehun’s hands to the fly of his pants. “Go on,” he murmured and Sehun shuddered. He slowly worked on undoing Kai’s pants, and once he was done, he almost dropped his hands back to his sides before Kai caught one of them and brought it to his toned abdomen. Sehun splayed his fingers on it and exhaled a weak sigh. Then as Kai drew Sehun’s hand down to palm his crotch, Sehun’s breathing quickened.

Sehun balled his free hand into a fist and blushed miserably as Kai guided his other hand to knead his cock over the fabric of his trousers.

He looked at Chanyeol again. The man watched interestedly. Good.

When Kai looked back at Sehun, he found the boy frowning sadly. He raised his other hand to Kai’s bare chest and shook his head weakly.

“I can’t do this,” he said in a very low whisper, just for Kai to hear. “Please.”

Kai blinked at him with his eyebrows in a knot. “What?”

Sehun did not look up or meet Kai’s eyes.

“You wouldn’t want to embarrass or disappoint the Mistress, do you?” Kai asked quietly.

Sehun was unresponsive for a moment. Then he eventually shook his head.

“Then just let go of your hatred for me for a while. You can get back to despising me later when we’re done,” Kai said and latched his hands to the sides of Sehun’s waist. He paused as Sehun shivered under his touch.

For the first time ever, Kai noticed how beautiful Sehun’s body was. He had perfectly unblemished skin, smooth as glass, fair as milk, with charming hints of pink. Any man could be aroused by him.

Just for a moment, Kai forgot about the audience as he leaned in to press a kiss on Sehun’s neck. Sehun let out a breathy moan, lifting his hands to the back of Kai’s head. His slender fingers slid past the strands of Kai’s hair as Kai dragged his lips to Sehun’s sharp collarbone. He curled his arm around Sehun’s svelte waist and felt Sehun’s body arch into his own when he nipped the skin on the collarbone, leaving it red and marked.

Kai brought his head up and stared at Sehun’s lips with half-lidded eyes. As much as he wanted to kiss those rosy petals, he knew Sehun wouldn’t want it, even if it were just for a show. Kisses were the most intimate gesture of affection. Sehun was good at pretending but Kai wasn’t.

Grabbing hold of Sehun’s thigh and waist, Kai gently laid Sehun on the bed. His eyes momentarily flitted over to Chanyeol, who was staring at Sehun.

Kai felt Sehun’s body twitch when he drew his hands along the underside of Sehun’s thighs over the drawers. He knelt between them and mustered the enchanting sight before him. Sehun was a fantastic pretender, Kai thought and almost scoffed. He hadn’t even started and Sehun was already looking like a ruined mess.

He gripped the sides of Sehun’s waist and heard Sehun pant laboriously. Kai then bowed his head to place a soft kiss on Sehun’s stomach before he left another on Sehun’s navel. Sehun fisted the sheets and turned his face away, biting his lip.

Kai crawled over him and grabbed Sehun’s jaw, turning his face so that their eyes could meet. He then slowly lowered the bottom half of his body and pressed his crotch against Sehun’s.

Sehun gasped lightly as his hands rose to clutch at Kai’s shoulders.

“Try not to look so disinterested,” Kai muttered, swiping a thumb along Sehun’s jawline. “You pretend well. Try just a little bit harder.”

Sehun frowned. His eyelids fell heavy. He lifted a leg and locked it around Kai’s. “Are… _you_ pretending, too?” he asked at length in a barely audible whisper.

Kai wasn’t sure what the question meant. Wasn’t it obvious?

He gripped Sehun’s thigh and thrust his hips forward, grinding his cock against Sehun’s.

A whimper broke from Sehun’s throat as his back arched off the mattress. Kai reminded himself that this was all just an act and he shouldn’t lose control. He, in no way, wanted to _enjoy_ this.

But then they started breathing together in sync, panting and huffing. Their bodies fit better with every thrust. Kai kept his eyes on Sehun’s parted lips that were fighting for breath and his attention on Sehun’s hands that were burning on Kai’s bare shoulder blades.

Kai was soon eager to feel Sehun’s skin against his as his cock rapidly hardened, pulsating with blood stirring violently in his loins.

Sehun, on the other hand, mellowed. His grip on Kai’s body loosened as he melted into the bed, whimpering softly.

Kai paused his thrusts and knelt up to pull Sehun’s drawers off. Sehun looked away then. Now only clad in the negligible night robe, Sehun lay there bare and reddened.

Kai briefly looked at Chanyeol, whose eyes were piercing through Sehun’s naked body.

Sehun finally looked at Kai again when Kai pressed a hand to Sehun’s lower abdomen before drawing it to Sehun’s protruding hipbone. God, how he wished Sehun weren’t just acting and he was genuinely blooming for Kai.

He was red between his legs, having been already prepped. Kai kicked his pants off and hovered above Sehun. Then gently joining his body with Sehun’s, he let their cocks brush and waited for their breathing to calm and synchronize. It was something Kai had never done before. Just breathe together…

He gazed down into Sehun’s eyes, sliding a hand over Sehun’s ribs. Sehun brought his own hand to Kai’s hair and stroked it kindly.

“Kiss me,” Sehun breathed out and it almost sounded like a plea. “Kai… Kiss… me.”

Kai’s eyes moved to Sehun’s demanding lips. He lowered his head. Sehun’s breathing shallowed. Kai planted another kiss on Sehun’s neck instead.

Sehun looked disappointed as he withdrew his hands from Kai’s hair. As though he had finally reached a resolution, he turned to lie on his stomach, burying his face into the pillow. “Let’s just get over with it if that’s what you want,” Kai heard Sehun say.

Frowning, Kai reached for one of the oil canisters at the side of the bed. Sehun gripped the edge of the bed, keeping his face planted in the pillow while Kai dribbled a generous amount of oil onto his palm.

He applied most of it on his aching shaft and stroked it for a moment while watching Sehun tremble. He then brought his oiled hand to the small of Sehun’s back and caressed it.

Sehun let out a moan that was muffled by the pillow when Kai’s hand glided over his tailbone and his finger breached the cleft of his ass. It was just sex. Kai tried to keep reminding himself that none of this meant anything. He was hard and aroused enough to go through this without thinking much. But what did Sehun want? Did Kai even care about what Sehun wanted?

Sehun gasped for air and bit onto the pillow when Kai’s finger stroked his already stretched opening.

“Are you all right?” Kai asked, finally doubting his judgment. He was no longer sure if Sehun were just acting.

Sehun did not answer.

“Sehun,” Kai moaned, brushing his lips on a side of Sehun’s neck as he slid a finger into Sehun. And then another when Sehun forced himself to remain silent.

The raw heat of Sehun’s insides wrapped around Kai’s fingers drove him to the edge of sanity. Sehun writhed and finally moaned as Kai’s fingers curled and massaged his warm insides.

Sehun raised his head and looked back at Kai. He fixed his eyes on Kai’s lips eagerly for a moment before he dropped his face back into the pillow.

“Do you want me to stop?” Kai asked, pulling his fingers out. He didn’t want to do this any further if Sehun weren’t up for it.

“No,” Sehun huffed out.

Kai licked his lips and turned Sehun around to lie on his back again. Sehun draped an arm over his eyes, as though he didn’t want to look at Kai anymore.

Kai aligned himself between Sehun’s legs and pulled Sehun’s arm off his face. “Look at me,” he ordered and Sehun instantly obeyed. Planting his hands firmly into the pillows on either side of Sehun’s head, Kai slowly slid into him.

Sehun cried out a moan and his hands gripped Kai’s back, his fingernails digging into the flesh. He clenched around Kai’s cock and throbbed beautifully. It took Kai’s breath away. Sehun’s eyes glistened with tears as he surrendered.

Their bodies moved with perfect coordination. Like they were meant for each other. Skin slapped against skin. Heat met heat. Heart beat against heart. Sehun came apart with every thrust.

“Kai,” he moaned repeatedly, chanting the name like a prayer. “Harder,” he eventually panted, dragging his nails down Kai’s back.

Kai picked up the pace of his thrusts, although he wanted to go slower to make the moment last as long as he could.

He didn’t realize that he had forgotten about Chanyeol altogether until he heard Chanyeol rise from his seat before he walked over to the bed. Kai slowed his thrusts as Chanyeol approached, removing his coat and shirt on his way.

Kneeling on the bed, he took hold of Kai’s chin and pulled him in for a kiss. Kai gripped a side of Sehun’s waist, thrusting into him while Chanyeol kissed him full on the mouth.

“That’s enough from you,” Chanyeol then muttered against Kai’s mouth before he undid his pants.

Blinking confusedly, Kai reluctantly started to pull out of Sehun. He froze for a moment when Sehun caught hold of his hand and pinned him with a pleading look, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Kai,” Sehun exhaled with a heaving chest.

Kai felt Chanyeol’s hand on his shoulder and Kai clenched his jaw as he pulled out of Sehun and rose from the bed.

Sehun’s sorrowful eyes followed Kai as he retreated, grabbing his pants from the floor. He then turned his attention to Chanyeol, who claimed Sehun’s mouth with his own and thrust his cock into Sehun.

Sehun let out a guttural groan, holding Chanyeol’s shoulders as the other man started to fuck him.

Kai, grinding his teeth with something like anger bubbling in his chest, stormed out of the room.

* * *

It was a despair like no other. Sehun hadn’t felt an anguish so devastating even when his parents had kicked him out of his home. He greatest fear, his most dreadful nightmare had come true. Spreading his legs for another man while the man he loved was present to bear witness.

He thought death might be kinder.

There was a knock on his door before the Mistress entered. Unlike the others in the brothel, Sehun was given a room of his own. It was no wonder the others hated him.

“Hey, my little star,” she chimed as she took her seat at Sehun’s side on the bed. “I’ve got a something for you.” She handed him a pouch of coins. “It’s what you’ve earned from tonight. And… I heard that Chanyeol was greatly pleased and that he would definitely come back soon.”

Sehun cupped the weight of the pouch in his hand.

“What’s the matter?” the Mistress inquired. “You usually don’t look so down when you get paid.” She paused. “Goodness, did Kai do something?”

Sehun rasped and shook his head. “No, he didn’t… He was… wonderful.” He set the pouch aside. It didn’t matter anymore, did it? He had gotten paid for making love to the man he loved, and that made him the dirtiest kind of whore there was.

“Then what’s the matter?”

Sehun managed an insincere smile. “Nothing is. I am just tired.”

“Well, in that case,” she said and stood up. “get some rest. I will move your appointments for tomorrow to some other date.”

Sehun nodded and as he lay down, the Mistress exited the room with a quiet “goodnight”.

He was ready to sob when he heard another rap on the door.

“Are you asleep?”

Sehun jolted upright as soon as he heard Kai’s voice. “No,” he said quickly. “Come inside.”

Kai entered the dark room and closed the door behind him. He stopped for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the darkness before he located Sehun on the bed. He silently walked over and plumped on the edge of the bed, letting out a heavy sigh.

“How… are you doing?” Kai queried.

Sehun swallowed hard before answering. “Why are you asking?”

Even in the dark, Sehun could see Kai scowling. “Why are you always such a conceited little brat?”

Sehun leaned his back against the headboard and pursed his lips. The only way he could cope through this was by not letting Kai show how weak he truly was and how hurt he was from everything that had happened tonight.

“You’re great, by the way,” Kai then said with a mocking snort. “The way you fake things… It’s almost believable.”

Sehun’s heart sank. “What about you, then? Were you just faking it, too?”

Kai laughed. “I believe I’m not as talented as you are. That’s why you have a room of your own and I’m still sharing with five others, in spite of having been here years before you showed up.”

Sehun bowed his head. “You told me to think of you as one of my clients,” he said in hushed tones, keeping his gaze low. “But… all that I wanted was for you to not think of me as one of yours.”

Kai was silent for a stretch. Then at length, he asked, “I don’t understand.”

“No, you wouldn’t,” Sehun muttered.

Kai didn’t press any further. They sat in silence until Sehun decided to break it.

“Isn’t there something you want to achieve in life?” he asked Kai.

It took Kai a minute to answer. “Of course, there is.” He sighed. “But people like us can’t achieve anything that easily.” He glanced at Sehun. “What about you?”

Sehun remained mum.

Then Kai asked with hesitancy wavering his voice. “Earlier tonight… when you asked me to kiss you… did you… mean it? Or was it just for a show?”

Sehun’s heart skipped a beat and it was the most horrible pain he had had to endure. “Why didn’t you want to kiss me?”

“Answer my question first.”

Sehun clenched his eyes. “Kiss me now,” he breathed out. He didn’t dare open his eyes, not wanting to see Kai smirk at him with mockery or worse, grimace at him with disgust. “You should leave, Kai.”

His body still burned from Kai’s heat. His skin smelled like Kai. He wished he had the power to erase memories.

He then felt a set of warm, soft lips press against his own. His breath caught, his heart stopped beating. His whole body went limp.

Kai cupped Sehun’s face in his hands and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. When Sehun parted his lips to gasp for air, Kai slid the tip of his tongue into his mouth and kissed him ardently. Sehun thought that he might just die right then.

Kai then pulled back with a thin string of saliva connecting their bottom lips. “Happy?” Kai exhaled.

Sehun licked his lips, lowering his head.

Kai got off the bed. “Good night, Sehun.” With that, he started towards the door.

“Kai,” Sehun called and Kai halted in his tracks. “We… never got to finish.”

Kai dropped his hand from the doorknob and he chuckled, before he bit his smirking lip. “Why don’t we go out for dinner tomorrow night? I know this new cabaret that just opened up.”

Sehun couldn’t hear his ears. “What?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to go.”

“No, no,” he gasped and sat up. “I… want… to.”

“Good. That get some sleep.” He prised the door open and disappeared through it.

Sehun grinned to himself before gnawing at his thumbnail. This must be a dream. People like him could dream after all.


End file.
